As Muslims, Middle Eastern, South Asian and communities of color, we are no strangers to policing and profiling of Black and brown bodies. As queer and trans* people, we are no strangers to institutional violence – among families of origin, places of worship, at the hands of the state. As queer and trans* Muslims and immigrants, we are no strangers to intergenerational trauma, forced migration and systems that cannot fail us simply because our protection was never part of their design. We are no strangers to our bodies being policed and violated at borders and in the U.S. Our survival and safety have never been priority in this country.

This is why we demand that the President use his executive power to end racial and religious profiling. The President has authority to hold the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and local law enforcement agencies that receive federal grants accountable. We can no longer wait.

Our lives are not disposable. We will survive this. We will transform this time, together.

Sign the petition to President Obama demanding an end to racial and religious profiling. The petition also demands an end to detention and deportations. The Hyphen series will also cover issues of detention and deportation for AAPI LGBTQ communities.

Less than a week after an election that left many minority and religious groups in the United States feeling disenfranchised, two important organizations – one Jewish and the other Muslim – announced an unusual alliance on Monday.The American Jewish Committee and the Islamic Society of North America have teamed up to form a new national group of leading Jewish and Muslim Americans: The Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council.In a press release, the AJC said that the new group “brings together recognized business, political and religious leaders in the Jewish and Muslim American communities to jointly advocate on issues of common concern.”

The co-chairs of the 31-member council are Stanley Bergman, CEO of the Henry Schein healthcare company, and Farooq Kathwari, president and CEO of the Ethan Allen furniture company.

Among its initial “action items,” the press release said, will be to “develop a coordinated strategy to address anti-Muslim bigotry and anti-Semitism in the U.S.” and to “protect and expand the rights of religious minorities” in the country.

In an unprecedented act of solidarity, 65 American Muslim and LGBTQ organizations joined together today to send a clear message in the wake of the Orlando shooting: that love and unity are powerful tools against those who seek to divide Americans using fear and hate. Signatories to the joint statement include Muslim Advocates, National LGBTQ Task Force, Muslim Public Affairs Council, Human Rights Campaign, Emerge USA, American Civil Liberties Union LGBT Project, American Muslim Health Professionals, Equality Florida, Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity, and the Coalition of South Florida Muslim Organizations (COSMOS).

“Sadly, in the aftermath of the horrific shooting targeting the LGBTQ community, we have seen efforts to divide Americans and stoke fear and hatred against entire groups of people,” said Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates. “This unity statement by LGBTQ and Muslim organizations urges all Americans to recognize that we are stronger together and that the Muslim, LGBTQ and Latino communities have shared identities, struggles and dreams.”

The joint statement draws inspiration from the overwhelming display of solidarity and resilience after the shooting—from the long lines of diverse Floridians lining up to donate blood, to the first responders who ran towards harm to help wounded victims and prevent more carnage. It also recognizes that there are some who use fear and hate to divide Americans against each other and increase surveillance of entire communities, based solely on how they look or how they pray.

“We stand together and are one family — because being Muslim and LGBTQ aren’t mutually exclusive,” said Russell Roybal, deputy executive director of National LGBTQ Task Force.

“It’s time for our country to come together following the horrific shooting in Orlando. Too many politicians are trying to pit the Muslim and LGBTQ communities against each other,” said David Stacy, government affairs director of the Human Rights Campaign. “We reject the politics of division and are proud to stand together as one community, Muslim and LGBTQ, against bias-motivated violence against all of our communities.”

The statement was also signed individually by Dr. Ingrid Mattson and Evan Wolfson, prominent leaders in the Muslim and LGBTQ communities respectively.

No one should affiliate themselves to a sheikh, thus making friendship and enemies based on him. The Muslim must show alliance towards every person of Islam known for piety. This includes all scholars. No scholar is shown extra loyalty, unless he is known for his extra piety and faith. We give precedence to those Allah and His Messenger have. We give superiority to those Allah and His Messenger have.

The muslim student alliance at my old school is asking people to sign a petition to stop the student association from showing american sniper at the school. GMU has a high muslim/MENA/foreign student population, and they are very worried about the reaction people will have to the film being shown, as it has a tendency to incite people to violence against MENA/muslim individuals. You don’t have to be a student to sign!

The 2014 Retreat for LGBTQ Muslims (and Partners) is a project of the Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity (MASGD). The retreat is organized by a committed group of volunteers on the Retreat Planning Team, including members of the Muslim Alliance.
The 2014 Retreat for LGBTQ Muslims (and Partners) follows on three successful events held in 2011, 2012, and 2013, each of which brought together more than 70 people from 4 countries, for a weekend of powerful dialogue, spiritual nourishment and emotional renewal. Participant testimonials demonstrate the power of this amazing event.
The LGBT Muslim Retreat aims to be inclusive of all Muslims including those that identify with Islam politically, culturally, religiously, ideologically and/or spiritually.

The retreat seeks sponsorship, donations, and other funding, as it is not funded by any outside organization.